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Expanding Your Business

Now that you have successfully established your business, below are several resources that may help you grow and expand your business:

Recruiting

The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and Job Center of Wisconsin (JCW) offer a variety of resources to assist with your recruitment and talent development needs. From the Job Center of Wisconsin website to on-site recruiting, our staff can simplify making connections to the best available talent.

For more information about resources offered through JCW, visit the Job Center of Wisconsin.

DWD can assist employers with a variety of recruitment and talent development needs, from veterans employment incentives to apprenticeship programs and expert labor market data. For more information about these and many other resources, visit DWD's Division of Employment & Training.

Receive a state grant to help your organization curb skills gap. For more information, visit Wisconsin Fast Forward Program.

To reach business and organization success, DWD's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation can help employers tap into highly-reliable and qualified job applicants with disabilities who can put their diverse abilities to work, and build strategies to ensure employers maintain their critical edge and competitive advantage by retaining current workers. For more information, visit DWD's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Veterans

The Department of Workforce Development’s Office of Veterans Services is committed to providing local employers with quality Veteran employees. The Local Veterans Employment Representative (LVER) job is to develop a partnership with employers that fosters success for your company and Veteran job seekers.

Step by Step Employer Toolkit for hiring Veterans – Provides processes for building a successful Veteran hiring initiative for your organization.
USERRA - An employer's responsibility with regards to reserve and active duty employees.

For more information, visit The Department of Workforce Development Office of Veterans Services.

Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) leverages regional business and community development representatives and specialists with proven experience in industry advancement, export strategy and investment capital to help businesses in Wisconsin maximize their potential. In addition to financial assistance through state and federal programs, WEDC and its partners provide operational assistance to companies and industry groups ranging from general business education to highly specialized consulting services.

Program categories:

Business retention and expansion grants, loans and tax credits
Entrepreneurship and innovation support
Workforce training grants
Export assistance
Community development grants
Industry development services
See a complete list of all current programs

For more information, please visit the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

Worker's Compensation

When Worker's Compensation Insurance is required:

In most instances Wisconsin employers with one or more employees, with limited exceptions, are required by law to have a valid worker's compensation policy in effect at all times. This "no fault" insurance not only provides injured workers with medical care and partial wage replacement, but also protects the policyholders' businesses from potentially damaging lawsuits. Specifically, under s. 102.04(1) (b) of the Wisconsin Worker's Compensation Act, an employer becomes subject to the Act and must carry a worker’s compensation insurance policy from a private insurance carrier if one of the following conditions is met:

The employer usually employs three or more persons full-time or part-time. This employer needs insurance immediately upon employing a third person.
The employer has one or more full-time or part-time employees and has paid gross combined wages of $500 or more in any calendar quarter for work done in Wisconsin. This employer must have insurance by the 10th day of the first month of the next calendar quarter. (There are four calendar quarters in a calendar year; the 1st quarter is January through March, the 2nd quarter is April through June, the 3rd quarter is July through September; and, the 4th quarter is October through December.)
The farm (farmer) employs 6 or more employees (at one or more locations) on the same day for 20 days (consecutive or non-consecutive) during a calendar year. A calendar year is January through December. This farmer must have insurance within 10 days after the 20th day of employment. Some relatives of the farmer are not counted towards the 6 employees, but will be covered under a policy if one is purchased.

Exceptions to Coverage by the Wisconsin Worker's Compensation Act:

The only employee exceptions to the Wisconsin Worker's Compensation Act’s insurance requirement are: (1) domestic servants, (2) any person whose employment is not in the trade, business, profession or occupation of the employer, (3) some farm employees, (4) volunteers, including volunteers of non-profit organizations that receive money or other things of value totaling not more than $10.00 per week, (5) religious sect members that qualify and are certified for an exemption, (6) employees of Native American tribal enterprises (including casinos), unless the tribe elects to waive its sovereign immunity and voluntarily become subject to the Act. Virtually all other workers and employers are covered by the Act.

Workers Covered Exclusively Under Federal Laws:

There are a few classes of workers who are covered by federal laws and are not covered by the Act. Employees of the federal government (such as postal workers, employees at a veterans administration hospital, or members of the armed forces) are covered by federal laws. People who work on interstate railroads are covered by the Federal Employers Liability Act. Seamen on navigable waters are covered by the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, and people loading and unloading vessels are covered by the Longshoremen’s and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act.

How to Obtain Worker's Compensation Insurance:

Worker’s compensation insurance is obtained through an insurance agent and/or an insurance company. The State of Wisconsin does not write or provide worker’s compensation insurance coverage. If an employer has or knows an insurance agent they may contact them; if not, they can consult telephone listings of insurance companies in their area.

If an employer is refused insurance by any insurance company, the employer may obtain insurance from the Worker’s Compensation Insurance Pool through the Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau upon prepayment of the correct premiums, if the employer is in good faith entitled to insurance. The Bureau is located at 20700 W. Swenson Drive - Suite 100, Waukesha, Wisconsin 53186. The mailing address is P.O. Box 3080, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-3080. The telephone number is (262) 796-4540. Note: The Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau is not a State agency and is not part of the State of Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Division.

Wisconsin Small Business Development Center

The Wisconsin Small Business Development Center network (SBDC) can help you gather the pieces you need for faster, better growth. Work with no-cost, confidential SBDC business experts in your area to seek funds for expansion, find new markets, retain your best customers, improve performance, and develop and implement a growth strategy.

For more information, please visit the SBDC website.